Improved hand-cultivator



R. B. FITTS AND J. W. THACKARA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED HAND-CULTIVATOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,560, dated August 18, 1863; antedated January 16, 1863.

view of the same, like let-ters in both figures j indicatingthe same parts.

The object of our invention is the production ot' ahand implement for cultivating in a 4more expeditious and perfect manner strawberry, cabbage, and such other plants as require to be grown singly or in hills.

It consists of a central vertical handle or stem attached to a ring provided with a series ot' detachable breaking or harrowing teeth, and a like series of detachable cutting-scrapers, and also carrying an adjustable cylindrical cutter provided with a series of detachable billing-plates, the whole being constructed and arranged so as to be operated substantially as is hereinafter described.

In the drawings, A is the central vertical stem; B, the-ring attached thereto; C C C, the detachable breaking or harrowing teeth; D D D, the detachable cutting-Scrapers; E, the adjustable cylindrical cutter, and F F F the detachable billing-plates.4

The central stem, A, is fixed perpendicular-ly over the center of the ring B by mea'ns of the arms a' a a', which branch from its lower end substantially in the manner shown in Fig. l.

The series ot' detachable harrowing-teeth G C C consists of three pairs of long pointed teeth, each pair being formed with a wedgelike projection or stem at its upper end, which, being driven in between the lower side of the ring B and a thimble, b', thereon, is thus held firmly in a radial position and nearlyr perpendicular to the plane of the ring, each pair be;

ing arranged also at about equal distances.

apart around the said ring, as seen in the drawings.

The series of cutting-Scrapers D D D cousismts ot' three distinct rectangular plates, d', having their lower edges sharpened and placed each in an inclined radial position beneath the ring B by means ot' a flat spring-arm, dwhiclr extends therefrom into a sliding thimble, d3, and is secured therein by, a wedge, substantially in the manner in which the rakes C are held to the same ring. [hey are also arranged so that their cutting-plates d may be at about equal distances apart and about in the same plane with the lower ends or points ofthe rakesG C C.

The cylindrical cutter E is a band of platesteel formed with a cutting-edge at its lowest position, and is attached to thestem A by y p `means of a sleeve, e', which tits around .the

stem, and the arms c2 e2 c2, which branch obliquely downward from the lower end of the sleeve, as seen in Fig. 1. A pin or bolt, g, 'passes through the sleeve e and any one of a series of holes, g', i-n the stem A, so as to hold the sleeve e firmly on the stem at any height the adjustment of the cutter E may require.

At equal distances apart, around in the inner side of the cutter E, the series of billingplates F F F are arranged. These plates are each curved and twisted so that they shall opcrate in a manner similar to that of the moldboard of a plow, to throw the loosened earth inward or toward the center of theirnplement as the latter is operated, and are applied by means ot" a lapping piece, f! which clamps firmly against the outside ofthe cutter E, and over the upper edges of the plates F, so as to hold them firmly in the positions shown in the drawings, and so, also, as to allow ot' their being readily detached when so required.

The upper end of the stem A is provided with a cross-handle, a3, whereby the implement is operated while in use.

Operation: The cross-handle a3 beinggrasped firmly in both hands, and the im plemeut placed upon the ground and over the plant to be cultivated, so that the latter shall be in the center of the rin g B, the operator presses downward, and at the same time rotates the implement about half-way round in the direction of the arrow marked on each figure of the drawings, thus loosening or breaking up the ground around the plant by means of the teeth C C C cutting the weeds by means of thev cuttingscrapers DD D, throwing ther loosened dirt, by means of the billing-plates F F F, around the stem of the plant, and cutting off by means of the cylindrical cutter E all vines or runners proceeding from the said plant. It will not probably be often required in any casethat all these distinctive operations be performed at once, and hence the reason-why the ;cylining, in which case the platesv F and teeth C should be detached, while in cultivating cabbage and other plants which require billing, the curved plates F will be requiredand perhaps, the cuttingscrapers D dispensed with, and 'in some other cases the parts C and D will be required without `the aid of the cutter E. As only'a single half-turn of the implement around the plant will be suflcient for the purpose,-and requires only a momentof timeto effect it, the operator has only to step from one plant to the neXtin succession to perform-it,

l and hence it is manifest that greater expedi- Having thus fully describedA our improved handlcultivator and pointed out its superior utility, what we claim as new therein of our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The stem A, in combination with thering B, constructed and arranged to receive the detachable teeth G C C and cutting-Scrapers D D D, substantially in the manner described and set forth, for the purposes specified.

2. The teeth G C C, in combination with the .ring B, the said teeth being arranged so that they may be detached, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. rlhe cutting-Scrapers D D D, in combination with the ring B, the said Scrapers being arranged substantially as described, for the purpose specied..

4. In combination with-the stemA and ring B, the vcylindrical cutter E, the same being made adjustable on the stem A, substantially as described and set forth, forthe purposes specified.

5. In combination with the cylindrical cutterE, the detachable hilling-plates/F F F, the said plates bein-g formed and arran ged to operate therewith in the mannersubstantially as l described, for the purposespecilied.

R. B. FITTS. J. W. THACKARA. 

